Hawai’i island activists raise questions about Abercrombie’s ordnance “emergency proclamation”

http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/sections/news/local-news/questions-raised-over-ordnance-emergency.html

Questions raised over ordnance emergency

According to the Hawaii Tribune Hereald:

The decision to allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to clean up unexploded ordnance without interference from those laws has environmental activists concerned because of the perceived potential for misuse.

Abercrombie’s proclamation, which only came to light last week, was signed June 14. It invokes a section of state law conferring upon the governor emergency powers to deal with the threat of unexploded ordnance, or UXO, and other contaminants.

The secret proclamation to suspend 25 chapters of Hawai’i state law for five years drew criticism from Big Island activists:

“While the underlying intent of the proclamations may have been virtuous, from a public perspective it appears that government is simply looking for a shortcut to avoid Hawaii’s decades-old environmental laws,” said Sierra Club spokeswoman Deborah J. Ward.

The Sierra Club has drafted a letter to Abercrombie that calls on him to withdraw the proclamation immediately and questions the legal justification for it.

“Even assuming the governor’s office had the power to issue these proclamations, we believe you are ill-advised to do so,” the letter states.

“The end is good, dealing with the unexploded ordnance,” said Kurtistown peace activist Jim Albertini. “The means are very questionable.”

In 2006, Albertini’s group, Malu ‘Aina Center for Nonviolent Education and Action, assembled a map of the Big Island with 57 known former military sites covering more than 250,000 acres in every district of the island. That’s considerably more than the 128,790 acres statewide that the governor has identified as eligible for remediation.

[…]

Albertini has no objections to the military cleaning up after itself, but he would have appreciated more public consultation.

“It’s been an emergency for a long time,” he said. “Why the declaration of emergency now?”

Governor Abercrombie secretly declares a “civil defense emergency” and suspends 25 laws in order to find unexploded ordnance

Last week, environmental investigator Carroll Cox uncovered alarming revelations that in June, Governor Abercrombie had secretly issued a proclamation declaring a “civil defense emergency” due to the presence of unexploded munitions on hundreds of thousands of acres throughout Hawai’i and suspended 25 laws without notifying anyone, including lawmakers.  On his September 11, 2011 radio program he discussed the proclamation and posted it on his website.

The Honolulu Star Advertiser reported:

Gov. Neil Abercrombie declared a civil defense emergency earlier this summer in a largely unpublicized move that gives the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sweeping authority to bypass state laws to investigate and remove unexploded ordnance.

With a proclamation on June 14, Abercrombie used emergency powers to suspend for five years statutes regarding public access of coastal and inland recreation areas, forest reserves, aquatic resources, fishing rights, ocean recreation and air, water and noise pollution.

Abercrombie said in the proclamation that the need for immediate ordnance removal does not allow the state or counties “adequate time to comply with Hawaii’s environmental and land use laws while also ensuring the protection of public health, safety and welfare.”

For that reason, Abercrombie said he invoked the civil defense emergency powers,, which allow him to “take possession of, use, manage, control and reallocate any public property.”

Environmental activist Carroll Cox recently raised concern about the proclamation, and state House and Senate leaders said Tuesday they had not been aware of the governor’s decree.

“Whatever the logic — it may have been a needed item — the problem is, why wouldn’t he have notified the public if he declared an emergency?” Cox said in an interview. “Nothing (here) rises to the occasion of an emergency — none of this.”

Cox, discussing the proclamation on his radio show, likened it to the governor declaring martial law.

“This is cause for alarm. Now, under the suspension of the statutes, the governor is free to do anything he wants with state resources without consulting anyone,” Cox said later in a news release.

The purported reason for the proclamation is to expedite Army Corps of Engineers’ cleanup of unexploded ordnance from state and county lands:

“This is a priority of our state’s leaders. In order for the Corps to clean up old munitions, it needs rights of entry,” the Corps said in a statement Tuesday.

The issue of “right of entry” was discussed late last year by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. At the time, an increase in the department director’s authority was sought to issue entry rights.

The Dec. 9, 2010, report said “it is in the state’s best interest to support and facilitate the (Defense Department’s ordnance) investigation and remediation efforts,” and noted “time critical” entry requests.

“Experience has shown that, with so many moving parts to be coordinated in each project, the (Army Corps) cannot always submit ROE (right of entry) requests far in advance of annual funding opportunities, and delays to ROE issuance can result in loss of funding.”

A recommendation was made that the Board of Land and Natural Resources should find ordnance remediation efforts exempt from state environmental assessment. How the entry issue evolved into a civil defense emergency order was unclear to Abercrombie’s office Tuesday. The state Attorney General’s Office referred calls to the governor’s office.

The clean up of military munitions and contamination should be a high priority.   The Army Corps of Engineers Formerly Used Defense Sites program is one of the better programs for cleaning up military hazards.    However, the suspension of laws sets a dangerous precedent for the abuse of executive powers.   And it creates a dangerous situation where no one is minding the store to even confirm that provisions of the proclamation are being followed.

Just in time for APEC? Rail?

Carroll Cox also points out that this suspension of laws coincides with the enactment of  Senate Bill 1555 allowing the state to create a nonprofit corporation for the development of public lands:

This, along with senate bill 1555 introduced by State Senator Donovan Dela Cruz allowing the state to transfer public land to a corporation for generating revenue, could devastate both our public and private property rights. We wonder, what’s coming up with APEC and the rail project in the works?

In his September 18, 2011 program, he examines Department of Land and Natural Resources Chair William Aila’s actions regarding the suspension of laws.    Cox has called on Abercrombie to rescind the proclamation.

Hawai’i lawmakers were unaware of the Governor’s proclamation, but they were rather timid in their denunciation of the move.   This is not the first time in recent years that the legislature was upset at the governor’s abuse of emergency powers:

The law is meant to give the governor sweeping authority to quickly respond to emergencies such as a terrorist strike, a hurricane, a tsunami, a massive oil spill or a nuclear accident. Lawmakers, however, have discouraged governors from using the emergency powers to respond to periodic or longstanding societal problems.

Three years ago, the state House and Senate voted to restrict the governor’s emergency powers after then-Gov. Linda Lingle issued and later extended an emergency proclamation to help build homeless shelters on the Leeward coast. Lingle vetoed the bill. The Senate voted to override the veto, but the House chose not to attempt an override, so the bill failed.

At the time, lawmakers said governors should not use their emergency powers to circumvent legislative oversight of public policy issues such as homelessness. Lingle’s proclamation had declared the Leeward coast a disaster area and suspended state procurement and environmental review regulations.

The emergency that nobody knew was an emergency  

According the Honolulu Star Advertiser, Governor Abercrombie’s office said that the failure to notify the public was simply an “oversight”:

Gov. Neil Abercrombie should have notified the public after declaring a civil defense emergency in June to help the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contain unexploded ordnance, the governor’s spokeswoman said Wednesday.

The Honolulu Star Advertiser editorial “Governor’s decree shows contempt for transparency” was refreshingly sharp in its criticism:

The past three months in Hawaii have not seemed like a disaster emergency, but Gov. Neil Abercrombie has indeed proclaimed a civil defense emergency with the sound of silence, using all the might of his behind-closed-doors authority.

State legislators and their constituents — the general public — have been left in the dark to the governor’s proclamation, as Abercrombie took the unacceptably secretive step on June 14 to suspend nearly two dozen environmental laws for five years, apparently to provide for federal removal of unexploded military ordnance.

[…]

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources reported in December that the Corps of Engineers cannot always submit requests for munitions removal far enough in advance to assure funding. The department’s governing board was suggested to allow ordnance remediation to be exempt from state environment assessments, and to increase the DLNR director’s authority over issuing land entry rights.

How that discussion devolved into Abercrombie’s civil defense emergency in June is unclear — even, apparently, to the governor’s office and the Attorney General’s Office, who were unable to supply answers when asked.

So why didn’t the public — along with their legislators — learn of this emergency program three months ago? Environmental activist Carroll Cox calls the delay “cause for alarm. Now under the suspension of the statutes, the governor is free to do anything he wants with state resources without consulting anyone.”

Quite true — and that is why, barring a true emergency, a public process based on governmental transparency must rule the land.

Meanwhile, the Army Corps of Engineers removed several pieces of unexploded ordnance from Hapuna beach, the first activity conducted under Abercrombie’s emergency suspension of state laws:

A hand grenade found Sept. 2 and a 57 mm Japanese mortar round discovered Thursday at Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area on Hawaii island have been detonated by the Army Corps of Engineers as an ordnance cleanup continues there, officials said.

The work being done there by the Army Corps since Sept. 2 represents the first application of a controversial exemption from state law that Gov. Neil Abercrombie granted on June 14, according to officials.

 

 

Army finishes ordnance clearing off Waianae coast

The AP reports that the army completed a demonstration project to remove underwater unexploded ordnance from “ordnance reef” off the Wai’anae coast using unmanned underwater vehicles:

The Army said Friday it recovered 74 pieces of decades-old exploded ordnance from the ocean floor off Oahu’s Waianae coast during a three-week effort to clear out most of the munitions the military dumped in the area years ago.

The cleanup also recovered 2,300 small arms munitions, U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii said in a news release.

The Army left alone munitions so encrusted with coral that removing them would have damaged the reef. Using a remote controlled robot, the cleanup team attempted to recover more than 150 small, medium and large items that appeared to be weapons. It got 80 of these, but six turned out to not be munitions.

It destroyed more than 330 pounds of explosives, 135 pounds of propellant, and all of the small arms munitions recovered.

Army recovers 32 underwater munitions from “ordnance reef”

The AP reports:

The Army has recovered 32 munitions from the ocean floor off the Waianae Coast this month during a project to clear away most of the weapons the military dumped there decades ago.

Of these 12 were treated to remove and destroy the explosive contents.  But the not all munitions found are being removed:

It’s been difficult for the robot to remove the weapons as coral growth has basically cemented many to the ocean floor. The Army is leaving heavily coral encrusted munitions in place.

There are an estimated 2,000 weapons in the area nicknamed “Ordnance Reef.”

Army to test underwater robots for removal of unexploded ordnance off Waiʻanae

The Honolulu Star Advertiser reports that Army demonstrated a remote-controlled underwater robot it will test for possible use to remove unexploded munitions off the Waiʻanae coast at a location known as “ordnance reef”.

The Army said it will begin a 21-day trial run Monday of a remote-controlled submersible designed to remove discarded military munitions from the ocean floor off the Waianae Coast.

The area called Ordnance Reef is littered with more than 2,000 World War II-era munitions including grenades, bullets, bullet casings and bombs, the Army said.

Officials will use the trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the vehicle to collect munitions, as well as gauge any damage to the reef. If the trial is a success, full-scale removal operations could begin next year.

[…]

Munitions would be brought to a barge equipped with equipment to destroy the munitions, in most cases by cutting them up and baking them in a specially designed oven to render explosive material inert.

The project has an estimated cost of $2.5 million to $6 million, including the $1 million cost of the submersible.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Military studies Waikane Valley bomb cleanup

The Honolulu Star Advertiser published an article about the progress of unexploded ordnance (UXO) cleanup in Waikane valley in Ko’olaupoko district of O’ahu.

Waikane is a lush valley that is very significant in Hawaiian legend and history.  The name refers to the waters of the great deity Kane. Sites in the valley are referred to in ancient chants about creation. As this is a land of flowing streams, there are extensive lo’i kalo (taro fields).

Waikane was granted to the Kamaka family during the Mahele. But land speculators like Lincoln McCandless acquired vast amounts of land in Waikane and other areas like Makua, allegedly through illegal or unethical means.

During World War II, the military leased Waikane lands for training and promised to return the land in its original condition.  When the lands were returned to the Kamaka family, Raymond Kamaka began farming and working with youth.   But the bombs kept turning up.  Instead of cleaning up as promised, the Marines condemned the land over the objections of the family.

In 2003, the Marines announced that they planned to conduct jungle warfare training in Waikane and held community meetings.  The community turned out in large numbers to protest the plan and to demand that the military clean up the land and return it to the Kamaka family. The Marine corps abandoned its training plans for Waikane.  Several years later, it began the administrative process for closing and cleaning up the range.

The surrounding lands were also affected by training, but since they are currently in private hands, a different program called the Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) program under the Army Corps of Engineers has the responsibility to conduct the ordnance removal.

The very fact that the munitions are being studied and removed is a win for the community.  What was once “too dangerous” and “too costly” is now within reach.  But the level of cleanup depends on the cost and feasibility analysis as well as the final land use.   This is where continued pressure is needed to ensure that the land is returned to Mr. Kamaka or to an entity that he designates to carry on the kuleana (responsibility) he solemnly swore to fulfill to his ancestors.

The Hawai’i congressional delegation can ensure that the cleanup is conducted to the highest level possible by ensuring that there is adequate funding to achieve the highest level of cleanup.

There are currently two cleanup operations underway in Waikane.  Under the Army Corps of Engineers FUDS program, a Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) has been established to oversee its portion of the cleanup. Under the Marine Corps, a separate Restoration Advisory Board has been established.  These RABs include military, government regulators and community members and provide input to the military on the cleanup process.   The meetings are open to the public.

The Army Corps of Engineers FUDS RAB will meet Wednesday, June 22, 2011 from 7-9 pm in the Waiahole Elementary School Cafeteria.

Below are excerpts from the Honolulu Star Advertiser article. The time line at the end has an error: the Marine Corps did not fence the Kamaka parcel in 1992 after it condemned the land.  It installed a fence some time after 2003, only after the community blasted the Marines for being hypocritical, i.e. claiming that the land was so dangerous it had to be condemned but never enclosing it with a fence.

Military studies Waikane Valley bomb cleanup

A Windward Oahu area littered with old munitions is being looked at by both the Marines and the Army

By William Cole

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jun 19, 2011

WILLIAM COLE / WCOLE@STARADVERTISER.COM
Marine Corps officials and an ordnance removal technician view Waikane Valley in the vicinity of the ordnance impact area.
WILLIAM COLE / WCOLE@STARADVERTISER.COM
The Marine Corps said it is spending $1.37 million to investigate the 187-acre impact area in Waikane Valley where the majority of the munitions are located and to develop a feasibility study for cleanup options that is expected to be released in the fall. Here, a warning sign is posted at the edge of the Marine Corps’ impact area

More Photos

Up a rutted road in jungly Waikane Valley, past the old Ka Mauna ‘o ‘Oliveta Church, through a locked gate and beyond a security fence is the former Kamaka family farm, the now-defunct military training range that replaced it, and the long-held hope — going on decades now — that the land can be returned to the agricultural and cultural place it used to be.

Waikane Valley is one of dozens of former military training sites in Hawaii undergoing the slow, arduous and sometimes painful process that goes along with demilitarization.

Among those many sites, Waikane is considered by some to be a special place, and there’s been momentum in recent years to clean up the munitions that litter it.

The Marine Corps and Army Corps of Engineers are each conducting studies on removing ordnance from a total of 1,061 acres in Waikane Valley. Citizen advisory groups are asking Congress for millions in cleanup funds.

“Things seem to be moving in a good direction — at least things seem to be moving, which is a good direction,” said Windward resident and attorney David Henkin, who is on the two restoration advisory boards for the land.

Land in and around the former training area is valued as a cultural and natural resource. The city thought highly enough of the land in 1998 to spend $3.5 million for 500 acres to the southeast of the Marine Corps land that are intended to become the Waikane Valley Nature Park. A private landowner, Paul Zweng, bought 1,400 acres — part of which is in the former training area — for a proposed Ohulehule Forest Conservancy to preserve and restore the endemic flora and fauna in the valley, officials said.

[…]

Despite the potential risk, off-road vehicles tear up Waikane Stream, and pig hunters cut through the fence that surrounds the 187 acres still owned by the Marine Corps.

Between 1943 and 1953 the Army leased more than 2,000 acres in the Waiahole and Waikane valleys for jungle training; small arms, artillery and mortar fire; and aerial bombing, according to a recent Navy investigation.

In 1953, the Marine Corps took over, leasing 1,061 acres for live-fire training. The report said live fire “apparently” stopped in the early 1960s, and that the lease was terminated in 1976.

A Marine Corps clearance effort in 1976 removed 24,000 pounds of practice ordnance and fragments, and 42 unexploded munitions.

In 1984 the Marines came back and recovered 480 3.5-inch rockets from what is known as the Waikane Valley Impact Area. A 2009 site inspection turned up 66 shoulder-fired rockets, one 2.36-inch rocket and three rifle grenades.

The unexploded ordnance, or “UXO,” as it’s known, was so thick the Marines abandoned in 2003 a plan to conduct blank-fire jungle training in the valley, saying it was too dangerous.

Despite that, community members working with the military on continuing studies say there’s progress and hope that Congress will provide cleanup funding.

[…]

Two remediation efforts are taking place in Waikane Valley. The Marine Corps said it is spending $1.37 million to investigate the 187-acre impact area where the majority of the munitions are located and to develop a feasibility study for cleanup options that is expected to be released in the fall.

The Army Corps of Engineers, meanwhile, is working on 874 adjoining acres that contain fewer munitions as part of the FUDS program. In addition to a $1.34 million study, the Army Corps said it has a $1.94 million ordnance clearance effort under way with Environet Inc. focusing on two parcels totaling 44 acres.

Among the decisions the Marine Corps will have to make is whether to clean up the 187 acres it still owns and to what degree, as well as what to do with the land afterward.

While some community members have complained about the number of plans put forth and the length of time for the Marine Corps to address the issue, an email response from Marine Corps Base Hawaii to the Star-Advertiser said the latest “munitions response program,” which began in 2008, “is detailed and takes time to ensure potential risks to human health and the environment are thoroughly identified and appropriate cleanup action is selected.”

People have been injured and killed by mishandled munitions in Waikane Valley, though there have been no incidents recently, according to the Navy “remedial investigation” draft report issued in March.

In 1944, two people were killed and two others were injured when a 60 mm mortar discovered in the valley accidentally detonated, the report said.

Three children were injured in 1963 when a “souvenir” rifle grenade reportedly discovered in Waikane Valley exploded after it was thrown against a wall. There have been no other reports of injury attributed to munitions found in the valley, the report said.

Raymond Kamaka, 72, said his family owned and farmed the Marine Corps land as far back as 1850 through a deed from King Kamehameha III, and he still lays claim to it.

His great-great-great-grandmother, Racheal Lahela, who came from Waikane, was a half sister of Queen Liliuokalani, Kamaka said.

Kamaka recalled playing in the valley as a kid. “It was our playground. Up there we used to swim,” he said. He remembers three ancient heiau.

The government later said it needed the land for wartime training, leased it from the Hawaiian family, and said it would clean it up and return it afterward.

The lease was terminated in 1976, and the Marines conducted several cleanups. Kamaka, a one-time professional wrestler, returned to farm in the early 1980s. He grew taro and raised pigs and brought in schoolchildren for visits.

When munitions were found on the property’s higher reaches, the military condemned the land in 1989. Much of the family settled for $2.3 million in 1994 — but not Raymond Kamaka.

“Nobody settled with me,” said Kamaka, who claims to be the only rightful heir.

The ensuing years have been “hell,” Kamaka said. “I lost everything.” He went to jail for two years in disputes with the government over the land, he said.

He still expects to farm on the family land again one day.

“Am I gonna come back? Yes,” he said.

Kajihiro, who also is program director for the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization that supports Native Hawaiian rights, said “there is some political will to do some cleanup (on the Marine Corps land). To what level is a question of cost.”

“We’re saying it should be cleaned up to the highest level possible to allow the broadest number of uses,” Kajihiro said. He added that those uses “need to be mindful of, and consistent with, Uncle Raymond Kamaka and his family’s vision and uses of the land — which were agricultural and cultural uses.”

LOOKING BACK

Waikane Valley’s history as a military training range:

Early 1940s
U.S. Army leases more than 2,000 acres in Waiahole and Waikane valleys and uses the property for jungle training, artillery, mortar, small arms fire, maneuvers and as a bombing range for air-to-ground fire.

1944
Two people are killed and two are injured by a 60-millimeter mortar discovered in the valley.

1953
Marine Corps leases 1,061 acres. Training includes small-arms fire, 3.5-inch rockets and medium artillery.

Early 1960s
Marines stop use of live fire.

1963
Three children are injured when a “souvenir” rifle grenade is thrown against a wall and explodes.

1976
Marines conduct ordnance clearance sweeps.

1984
Marines conduct additional ordnance clearance sweeps and remove 480 3.5-inch rockets.

1989
U.S. government acquires title to the 187-acre ordnance impact area.

1992
A perimeter chain-link fence is installed around the impact area.

2002
Marines propose conducting blank-fire training on the site.

2003
Marines abandon the idea when a study finds too much danger from unexploded ordnance.

2010
Marines conduct a “remedial investigation” on the 187-acre Waikane Valley Impact Area.

2011
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is investigating ordnance on 874 adjoining acres and removing munitions from 44 acres within that parcel.

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Marine Corps

 

Army destroys another munition found on Kauai beach

Today, near Anahola, Kaua’i, an area resident found a cylindrical object on Aliomanu Beach. The Honolulu Star Advertiser reports:

Explosives disposal specialists from Schofield Barracks flew to Kauai this morning to destroy a military pyrotechnic device found on a beach near Anahola.

It was the second time in less than a month that the Army’s 706th explosive ordnance disposal team flew in from Schofield Barracks to destroy a military device found on Kauai’s shores.

[…]

The device, an MK 58 Marine Marker, is about 21 inches long and weighs about 13 pounds. The Navy uses it in air and sea rescue operations as a target marker and surface wind indicator. The marker contains two pyrotechnic candles which can provide a continuous flame and white smoke for 40 to 60 minutes.

 

Teenager finds WW II-era device on Kauai

Teenager finds WW II-era device on Kauai

By Star-Advertiser staff

POSTED: 11:20 a.m. HST, May 22, 2011

An Army ordnance team flew to Kauai and destroyed a World War II-era sea marker today that had been discovered on a Kapaa beach, Kauai officials said.

Officials said the French-made, 30-by 6-inch cylinder contained a small amunt of explosives.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Military ordnance team unable to dispose of canister that closed Hanauma Bay today

According to the Honolulu Star Advertiser, a diver found a military ordnance in Hanauma Bay today, causing officials to close the popular tourist recreational spot.  This was where President Obama and his family swam during his winter vacation.  Army ordnance disposal technicians failed to blow the canister, which began smoking once exposed to the air.  The article reports that the device could be a phosphorous canister used to illuminate and mark targets with smoke. However, phosphorous is a particularly sinister material when it makes contact with flesh.  It continues to burn at a high temperature until it is cut off from oxygen.

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http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/Hanauma_Bay_closed_after_military-looking_ordnance_found.html

Military ordnance team unable to dispose of canister that closed Hanauma Bay today

By Dan Nakaso

POSTED: 11:06 a.m. HST, May 01, 2011

An explosive ordnance team from Schofield Barracks tried to blow up a military smoke cannister that forced the evacuation of Hanauma Bay this morning but had to return to Schofield under police escort because “whatever process they used, it didn’t work,” Honolulu Fire Capt. Earle Kealoha said.

The ordnance team is expected to return later today to dispose of the 3-foot-long, 6-inch diameter cannister that was discovered by a scuba diver this morning at “witches’ brew,” a small peninsula and cove on the right side of the marine preserve.

The team buried the cannister in the sand and apparently triggered a small explosion, Kealoha said.

“Evidently it didn’t do the job it was supposed to do,” Kealoha said. “They’re heading back to Schofield under police escort to get more of what they need.”

About 1,000 beach-goers were evacuated from Hanauma Bay this morning after a scuba diver brought the cannister to shore, according to the city’s Department of Emergency Services.

The diver brought the device to a lifeguard, who notified Honolulu firefighters around 9:30 a.m., according to the Department of Emergency Services. The marine preserve was evacuated at 10 a.m., according to Ocean Safety dispatchers.

The cannister later began smoking as it lay near a lifeguard tower, Kealoha said.

Hazardous materials experts from the fire department believe the device is a phosphorous canister used by P-3 pilots to mark objects, such as submarines, in the water with white smoke, Kealoha said.

“We’re guessing it was used in a training exercise off shore and it floated in,” Kealoha said.

HFD hazardous materials officials recommended keeping people at least 100 feet away from the cannister until military ordnance crews can remove it today, Kealoha said.

But, as a precaution, Hanauma Bay officials cleared the entire marine preserve “for safety,” Kealoha said.

Asked about the wisdom of bringing a military device to shore, Kealoha said, “I wouldn’t have.”

1 Marine dies, 3 injured in Kaneohe Bay crash, Explosion on Carrier Injures 10, and UXO Found at Fort Shafter

According to the Honolulu Star Advertiser, one marine died in yesterday’s helicopter crash in Kane’ohe Bay.   The helicopter fuel pods were also damaged and are leaking jet fuel:

Three crewmen were treated at Marine Corps Base Hawaii and then taken to the Queen’s Medical Center last night. Search and rescue crews recovered the body of the fourth Marine from the helicopter.

Two of the injured Marines were in critical condition last night and one was reported in stable condition. The body of the deceased Marine was taken to Tripler Army Medical Center. His name will be released 24 hours after next of kin are notified, Olson said.

Kim Beasley, general manager of the Clean Islands Council, said it appeared that one of two external fuel pods on the helicopter had sheared off in the crash and was leaking JP-5 or JP-8 fuel. Crews were working to remove the fuel from the detached tank, which Beasley said was about eight to 10 feet away from the wreckage on the sandbar.

“One was split and one was barely leaking,” Beasley said. “The tank holds about 700 or 800 gallons, but we don’t know how much was in it, so we’ve got to drain it all.”

Elsewhere, the Honolulu Star Advertiser reported:

A jet fighter’s engine exploded and caught fire Wednesday as it prepared to take off from an aircraft carrier off California, injuring 10 sailors, the military said.

The F/A-18C Hornet was starting a training exercise when the accident occurred about 2:50 p.m. on the flight deck of the USS John C. Stennis, according to Cmdr. Pauline Storum.

Meanwhile workers discovered an unexploded navy munition at Fort Shafter:

Construction workers repairing a retaining wall found the ordnance about 7:30 a.m., a U.S. Army Garrison press release said.

The U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii’s Directorate of Emergency Services and the base’s police evacuated the surrounding area as a precaution.

A team from the 706th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company identified the unexploded ordnance as a World War II-era, 12-inch naval shell and took it to Schofield Barracks for disposal.